Police Log

Posted
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 1:00 pm

The Police Log is a digest of reports filed by the Warwick Police.

POSSESSION

Officer Nelson Carreiro reported he was on routine patrol near the La Quinta around 10:15 p.m. on July 11 when he saw a car begin to leave the parking lot with its lights off. He said he pulled it over and found that several of the people in the car were familiar to police. He said he ordered two of the people out of the car and found a plastic bag in plain sight that contained what looked like cocaine. He said he got them all out of the car for pat downs and K-9 Officer “Fox” confirmed that cocaine had been on the center console of the car. Robert M. Burns, 41, of 151 Leigh St. in Warwick was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The passengers in the car denied any knowledge of it.

FIREWORKS

Officer Christian Vargas said he was on patrol around 7:50 p.m. on July 2 when he saw a car that looked like the one described earlier as being sought by detectives. He said he did see the suspect car and pulled it into the Dunkin’ Donuts lot in Apponaug. He said the driver was talkative and was offering information he wasn’t asked for as another officer looked inside the car with consent. He said the man went to the rear of the car as Officer Stephen Major attempted to open the trunk. Major reported that the man kept closing the lid when he attempted to open it and finally allowed it to be opened. Major said he found fireworks in the trunk and the driver said, “I guess I’m arrested now. Those are illegal.” Major reported he found an Excalibur Aerial Fireworks kit in the trunk. Vargas reported that they found $1,545 in cash on the man. He said the 23-year-old man explained that he just got his monthly Social Security disability payment of $900 and the rest came from a lawsuit settlement. Jacob A. Herbert of 148 Manning St. in Warwick was charged with the sale and possession of fireworks.

IRRATIONAL

Officer Aaron Kay reported he pulled a car over for having one of its headlights out around 2:35 a.m. on July 11. He said he pulled the car over at the Wal-Mart lot on Post Road. He said he was doing identification checks on the driver and passengers when one of the passengers got out of the car and was waving frantically and said he had to pee. He said he told him to calm down but the man replied he was drunk and he had to pee or he would wet his pants. He said the man wandered off in spite of being told to stay put, as if he was going to pee behind a nearby tree. Kay said he kept an eye on him as he waited for backup but the man came running back and said there was a skunk there and he was afraid he would be sprayed. Kay said the man was even more emotional and was swearing and would not calm down. He said he continued to yell about skunks and the need to pee. He said the man continued to carry on and at one point ran in front of a passing car. He said he secured him with some difficulty and put in the back seat, telling him he was being charged with disorderly conduct. The other passengers and the driver were released at the scene, with the driver holding a “notice and demand” to get his light fixed. The other man continued to act hysterically and could not be booked and was placed in a holding cell. He was later released to the care and custody of the staff at Kent Hospital.

SHOPLIFTING

Officer Nadine Pallini reported she was on patrol when a shoplifting in progress call was broadcast on July 14. A loss prevention agent at the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on Post Road pointed her to a pickup truck leaving the lot. She stopped the truck and the loss prevention officer identified the passenger in a yellow T-shirt with “Warning” printed on it as the man who removed the security device and took the TV. The TV itself was in the back of the truck. Ralph E. Boss, 28, of 16B Vars Ln. in Bradford, R.I., was patted down and a box cutter, two syringes and a spoon were found in his pockets. He was charged with stealing a 32” LED television worth $286.76 and held for the bail commissioner.

A Cranston man was charged with switching a $125 price tag on a shirt with one for only $39.99 at Macy’s on July 13. Loss prevention told police they saw him do that and stopped him outside. Luis Ramos, 20, of 47 Pendleton St. was charged with shoplifting and later released with a summons.

Officer Jason Cooke was dispatched to the Hobby Lobby on Bald Hill Road on July 10 to take custody of a Johnston woman accused of shoplifting. Cooke said there was a child with the woman and, after finding no prior charges and speaking with his supervisor, Cooke got permission to issue her a summons on the spot and advised her to go to Warwick headquarters as soon as possible to be booked. He said she promised to do so the next day. Anne Marie Bataitis, 53, of 10 Parkview Dr. in Johnston was charged with stealing 12 items worth a total of $86.54.

Valerie Garcia, 22, of 664 Plainfield St. in Providence was charged with leaving the Wal-Mart on Post Road without paying for $117.66 worth of goods concealed in a tote bag. She was charged with shoplifting and released with a summons and a warning not to return to the store.

DOGS UNATTENDED

ACO Jesse Brennan reported he was summoned to the Stop & Shop on Greenwich Avenue around 3:15 p.m. on July 15. He said he met with Officer Paul Wells who reported that he had been there for about 10 minutes since he originally saw the dog inside a Ford Taurus that was panting heavily and obviously distressed by the heat. Brennan said he took the temperature inside the car and got 102 degrees. He said the dog was in the car at least 20 minutes by the time the owner came back. Krystal Folco, 27, of 34 East Main St. in West Warwick was charged with leaving a dog unattended in a hot vehicle.

ACO Brennan reported a dog left in a car at the Wal-Mart on Bald Hill Road around 6:15 p.m. later the same day. He said the dog was obviously distressed and panting in a temperature of 92. He said the owner came back and was attempting to leave and Brennan put himself behind the car and prevented him from leaving before police got there. Thomas K. Kue, 33, of 234 Knollwood Ave. in Cranston was charged with leaving the dog in a hot car.

ACO Brennan said he was at Airport Plaza around 5:30 p.m. on July 16 after a dog was reported left in a car. He said he got there to find that the owner of the dog was outside of the car giving his dog water. Brennan said the temperature in the car was 110 degrees. A witness told Brennan the dog was in the car for at least 20 minutes before the owner came back. Brennan said he gave Dustin Vandermost, 22, of 797 Main St. in West Warwick a ticket for leaving the dog in the car.

Brennan reported he was at the Wal-Mart parking lot on Post Road around 7 p.m. where Officer John Curley reported that a dog had been left in a car for over 30 minutes. He said the dog was out of the car by the time he got there but Tatyana Mendez, 60, of 125 Houston St. in Providence was still given a ticket for leaving her dog in a hot car.

DUI AND ASSAULT

Officer Gary Driscoll reported he was one of several officers working a detail at Chelo’s Waterfront around 10:45 p.m. on June 29 when he was alerted about a man leaving who shouldn’t be driving. He said he saw the man talking to another officer who convinced him to call someone to come and get him after he refused a cab. Driscoll said they gave him the opportunity to call someone from his car but stood nearby out of sight to make sure he didn’t leave on his own. Within minutes, said Driscoll, the man started his 2011 Dodge Durango and backed it up as they stood there. He said the officer went back and stopped him and once again told him to forget about driving and stay on the boat he claimed he had at the marina. Driscoll said they once again offered him the chance to call a friend and advised him that they already could arrest him for driving drunk in the parking lot and told him that driving a golf cart to his boat was also illegal while drinking. For the second time, said Driscoll, they allowed him to try and call a friend while they stood by. Driscoll said he again got in his car and again attempted to drive and again was stopped. He said they would arrest him for DUI if he started the vehicle again and got him out of the Durango. Driscoll said he saw the man heading back toward his vehicle again. He said he turned the vehicle on again and they told him he was being arrested for DUI. He said another officer was called to administer a field test that the man could not complete. Derek J. Leigh, 40, of 311 Sumner Ave. in Warwick was taken to headquarters by Officer Nicholas Reay who said he refused to cooperate and continued to be abusive and refused to take a breath test. He said Leigh struck a combative posture and then pushed himself into Reay, striking him with his shoulder before he was taken to the floor and subdued again. He was charged with DUI, refusal and assault on an officer. He was later released to a sober adult. Reay said Leigh mumbled “Go shoot yourself,” as he was walking him into the lobby.